Four years after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, households still spend roughly 21 % more on energy than they did in the pre‑war year, according to an analysis by the comparison portal Verivox that the Funke‑Mediengruppe’s weekend newspapers have reported.
For a typical three‑person household, annual expenses for heating, electricity and fuel amount to €4,977 in February 2026, compared with €4,121 in 2021 – an increase of €856.
The biggest rise is in heating costs. Heating oil is about 29 % more expensive now; households using 20 hectoliters pay €1,849 a year versus €1,428 in 2021. Gas‑fired heating has also become more costly: a yearly consumption of 20,000 kWh would cost €1,988 instead of €1,329, a jump of roughly 50 %. Because more people use gas than oil, Verivox estimates that overall heating costs rose by 43 %.
The fuel surcharge is also visible at the pump. Gasoline prices are about 15 % above their 2021 level, diesel 24 % higher, and on average drivers spend roughly 17 % more for fuel.
Electricity, in contrast, has remained relatively stable. A consumption of 4,000 kWh costs €1,244 today versus €1,229 in 2021. However, those on the cheapest tariff actually enjoy a price that is about 13 % lower than pre‑crisis rates.
Thorsten Storck, Verivox’s energy expert, explains that a large federal subsidy for grid charges and falling wholesale prices have helped bring electricity prices down by a bit more than a quarter since their peak in 2022. “Gas and fuels” he notes, “do not appear to be returning to pre‑war levels, largely because of a sharply higher CO₂ price that continues to raise the cost of fossil fuels”.
Verivox’s model assumes a household of three people with 20,000 kWh of heating demand, 4,000 kWh of electricity use and an annual driving distance of 13,300 km. Heating‑oil prices were taken from the Federal Statistical Office and Esyoil, while pump prices come from ADAC and Clevertanken as of 17 February 2026.